The Real Deal New York

From the May issue: This past month, a real estate broker advertised that he would dress up as the Incredible Hulk at a Sunday open house, hoping an appearance by the muscle-bound monster would lure buyers to his listing for a Midtown condo. He even went so far as to place signs around the unit warning that lowball offers would cause the Hulk to get angry. The stunt may have been a joke, but the sentiment was real. This spring, despite a flurry of activity by bargain-hunting home-seekers, deals are still rare as buyers and sellers exhibit contradictory expectations. “For every one seller who thinks pricing will be going up soon, I have 100 buyers telling me the opposite,” said Paul Purcell, co-founder of Charles Rutenberg Realty.